February 23, 2023
What Happened to Us
By Jon Mooallem
Monroe Gallery of Photography specializes in 20th- and 21st-century photojournalism and humanist imagery—images that are embedded in our collective consciousness and which form a shared visual heritage for human society. They set social and political changes in motion, transforming the way we live and think—in a shared medium that is a singular intersectionality of art and journalism. — Sidney and Michelle Monroe
February 23, 2023
What Happened to Us
By Jon Mooallem
Thursday, February 23, 6:30 p.m.
Figge Art Museum, 225 West Second Street, Davenport IA
A lauded painter, a noted art therapist, and an award-winning photojournalist will share their histories and thoughts at the Figge Art Museum on February 23 when the Davenport venue hosts In Conversation: Zaiga Minka Thorson, Dana Keeton, & Ryan Vizzions, an informal and enriching conversation about how artists address personal trauma through their artistic practices.
Michigan native Thorson is a Black Hawk College Professor Emerita, having taught at the Moline institution since 1999. She holds a BFA in Painting from Western Michigan University and an MFA in Painting from Northern Illinois University, and is represented by Iowa Artisans Gallery in Iowa City. Having received numerous awards for her graphic design and artwork, which she exhibits both regionally and nationally, Thorson has served on the education committee for the Figge Art Museum, as well as on the Rock Island Preservation Commission and the Visual Arts Committee of Rock Island's Quad City Arts. She has stated that her reverence for nature is rooted in her Latvian heritage and growing up in Michigan, and her interests include research and travel to America's National Parks and UNESCO World Heritage sites, her points of interest particularly focused on sacred sites.
Based in Iowa City, Keeton is a registered, board-certified art therapist and a licensed mental health counselor whose trauma-informed psychotherapy work incorporates art therapy, EMDR, mindfulness, and breath work, as well as cognitive behavioral, client-centered, and strength-based approaches. She is also trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), a therapeutic technique that assists in reducing the intensity of emotions associated with disturbing life experiences; YogaCalm, an integrated wellness approach utilizing yoga movement, meditation and mindfulness; and a certified Victim Service Provider with the Iowa Organization for Victim Assistance.
Vizzions has been named Creative Loafing's 2014 "Best Fine Art Photographer" (readers choice) and 2015 "Best Cityscape Photographer" (critics pick); worked alongside international brands such as Adidas and artists such as Pharrell Williams; collaborated with local companies including #WeLoveATL, The Atlanta Opera, and Van Michael Salon; and covered many music festivals, among them Outkast's long awaited reunion series "Outkast ATLast." In hosting his own annual photo exhibition Wander Never Wonder, Vizzions connects local photographers and helps provide a platform for local artists to make money off of their craft. The artist and photojournalist is also deeply involved with the community of Atlanta, Georgia, often donating portions of his art sales to various local charities and foundations.
In Conversation: Zaiga Minka Thorson, Dana Keeton, & Ryan Vizzions will take place on February 23, the 6:30 p.m. program will be preceded by a 5 p.m. cash bar, and participation in the evening discussion is free. For more information, call (563)326-7804 and visit FiggeArtMuseum.org.
Via Patrick Witty, Field of View
Private First Class Tony Vaccaro, carrying an M-1 rifle and an Argus C3 brick camera, photographed this scene January 11, 1945, during the Battle of the Bulge. At first glance, it looks like a painting - spartan and stark, the composition as cold as the day.
“I saw the soldier that was lying down so peacefully, so beautiful as if an artist had drawn it.” Vaccaro recollected in the excellent 2016 documentary Underfire: The Untold Story of Pfc. Tony Vaccaro. “Death, that is beautiful. It’s a contradiction. You want the ugliest aspect of mankind, death, to be beautiful. Otherwise it can not be a monument.”
Vaccaro died in 2022 at the age of 100. The photo, titled “White Death, Requiem for a Dead Soldier,” was published alongside Vaccaro’s obit in The New York Times.
February 18, 2023
Nate Gowdy – Town Hall Seattle
Nate Gowdy had previously photographed 30 Donald Trump rallies. He thought he was fully prepared for what should have been the grand finale, but the events that unfolded on January 6th, 2021, were more than anyone could have expected.
As the event transformed from protest to outright insurrection, Gowdy never stopped photographing. The result is his first monograph, Insurrection — a comprehensive yet intimate account of the events of that fateful day. The 150-page book moves readers through the day in timestamped, chronological order, bringing them a firsthand account of not just the attack on the U.S. Capitol, but what it was like to be a journalist on the front lines.
Juxtaposed are scenes of domestic terrorists kneeling and praying, posing for group photos, eating hotdogs, rampaging against the Capitol’s sworn protectors, and defiling the Inauguration Day stand, historically reserved for the stately pomp and circumstance of our representative government. On assignment for Rolling Stone, Gowdy was deemed “fake news” and assaulted twice for having professional cameras.
Gowdy joins us in the Wyncote NW Forum to share more about that historic day in January.
Nate Gowdy captures the complexities of American politics with striking clarity. Since chronicling Washington state’s fight for marriage equality in 2012, he has traveled the US to photograph pivotal events, figures, and movements across the political divide. His images have been featured in Rolling Stone, Mother Jones, PBS NewsHour, Thom Hartmann, CNN, and TIME, where his Bernie Sanders portrait graced the cover in 2016. As a co-founder of The American Superhero Project and co-author of Our Students, Their Stories, a book celebrating Seattle Public Schools’ LGBTQIA+ students, families, and staff, Gowdy is committed to elevating underrepresented voices. He serves as the official photographer for Seattle Pride, and his documentary fine art is represented at Monroe Gallery in Santa Fe.
Thursday, March 30, 2023, 7:30PM
The Wyncote NW Forum
1119 8th Ave (Entrance off Seneca St.)
Seattle, Washington 98101
Via The Taos News
February 13, 2023
Harwood Museum of Art announces Centennial Celebration in 2023
Harwood Museum of Art of the University of New Mexico announces the celebration of its one-hundred-year anniversary in 2023.
To mark the museum’s role as a steward of Western history and American art, Harwood’s Centennial celebration will take place from June 3, 2023 to January 28, 2024 and will include a major exhibition, publication and a full calendar of educational and community programs.
Burt and Lucy Harwood made art and education the soul of Harwood when they purchased the property on historic Ledoux Street in 1916. The Harwood Foundation was founded in 1923; Originally a library born from the lending library Lucy Harwood began in her then-home, the museum has since become an international destination for tens-of-thousands of visitors each year.
Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, and the second-oldest museum in New Mexico, Harwood celebrates Taos’ artistic legacy, cultivates connections through art and inspires a creative future.
“This is a great milestone for Harwood, which has been a cultural anchor in Taos,” said Juniper Leherissey, executive director. “As the museum has evolved and changed, what endures is the strength in art and creativity that we hope to continue to inspire long into the future.”
The kick-off for the Centennial will take place with opening events at the museum on Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3. This will be followed by the Harwood 100 Birthday Bash on Saturday, June 17 at the Sagebrush Events Center from 5:30-10 pm. The Harwood 100 Birthday Bash will include Taos Pueblo’s Hail Creek Singers, mariachis, and dance music by Big Swing Theory. Tickets will go on sale in March.
From June 2023 to January 2024, the Centennial exhibition will fill all nine galleries and will take visitors on a journey through the museum’s rich history, including 200 works of art from Harwood’s collection and 200 books from the former Harwood Public Library, along with significant works on loan by artists Ansel Adams, Paul Strand, Margaret Bourke-White, Elaine de Kooning and Georgia O’Keeffe. Continue to full article here.
For more information, visit https://harwoodmuseum.org/centennial/.
February 9, 2023
Thursday, February 23, 6:30 p.m.